Transmission mechanism



1942- c. F. RAUEN 2,305,897

TRANSMIS SION MECHANISM Filed Sept. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l V 511a, M-

. ATTORN EY Dec. 22, 1942.: c. F. RAUEN 2,305,897 v TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Sept 14, 1940' s Sheets-Sheet 2 23;- s W W M lgi [w M 1 fig/ 14.. 2g /06 i 95 A W v l Q INVENTOR I (krl F F e z KTTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 22, 1942. c. F; RAUEN TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Sept. '14, 1940 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 Carl F. Rauemlletroit, Manufacturing Company,

Mich. assignor to Brill poration of Michigan Application September 14, 1940,

Detroit, Mieln, a cor- Serial No. stares 3 Claims. cl. 14-410) This invention relates to aircraft and'more particularly to an aircraft power transmission mechanism therefor. The illustrated power plant of the aircraft embodies an engine of the internal combustion type comprising, by way of example, a number of banks of cylinders having reciprocable pistons foroperating two drive shafts or crankshafts, these being arranged in parallelism and adapted to drive a centrally arranged propeller shaft,

An object of the invention is to improve the arrangement and location of certain gearing interposed between the drive or crankshaft and the propeller shaft whereby improved and more efficient operation, reduction in the weight of the transmission, greater compactness, and longer operating life are obtained.

Another objector the invention is to provide an improved reduction gear drive mechanism between spaced parallel crankshafts of an aircraft and the propeller shaft thereof wherein by an improved location or arrangement of the idler gears a reduction and equalization of the loads or forces on the idler gear bearings is obtained. A further object of the invention is to provide plant and shafts and the propeller like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 1 t

Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly broken away,

of the front end of an airplane embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in perspective the gear drive between the crankshaft.

Fig. 3 is the side elevation of an airplane engine, partly broken away, bodiment ofthe present invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the'gear drive shown in Fig. 3.

' being represented by an improved gear train mechanism interposed between parallel spaced trally disposed propeller shaft, which mechanism is less bulky and lighter, occupies less space, and operates more efficiently.

crankshafts and a cen- Another object of the invention is to provide 1 an improved gear train mechanism interposed between parallel spaced crankshafts to drive a centrally disposed propeller shaft and so constructed as to require less frontal areawhereby resistance or drag of the engine is materially reduced and greater aircraft streamlining is made possible. v

Still a furtherobject of the invention is to provide a gear train between a plurality of crankshafts and a propeller shaft inwhich the forces on the bearings of the idler gears arematerially reduced. V 7

Also it is an objectof the inventionto provide a gear train between a plurality of crankshafts and a propeller shaft in which the gear bearings of the idler gears and idler gears themselves may be relatively small thereby reducing weight and bulk of the gear train.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gear train between aplurality of drive shafts and a propeller shaft in which all the gears can be relatively small enabling lower pitch line velocities and more accurate gears.

Other objects of this invention will appear in Fig. 5:- is a parthr' diagrammaticend view of a gear train having idler gears arranged and rotating similarly to corresponding gears of Figs. 2, 3 and 4. r Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view giving a vector analysis of the bearing loads in the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, said view being positioned to correspond to Fig. 5, and the gears their pitch circles;

Fig. 7 is a view similar in part to Fig. 6 with the idler gears being moved respectively-to the sides of the line connecting the centers of the driving gears opposite to those of Fig. 6.

Fig. '8 does not involve invention and is included in the drawings to illustrate the result of placing both idlers on the same side of the line connecting the centers of the driving gears.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view giving a complete vector analysis of forces on one-half of the structure. Said view includes both the driving and reactive forces, as loads produced thereby.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood-that the invention is' not limited in' its application to the details ofjconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the'accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or carried out in various ways.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it. is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention there is shown, byway of example, in the drawings a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine together with the transmission mechanism between the crankshafts of the power plant and the propeller shaft installed within' a suitable airplane engine housing illustrated in Fig. 1. This engine housing comprises a fuselage u. v A streamlined engine compartment 22 houses a power plant 24 which in turn is adapted to drive. a propeller 28 to propel the craft through the air.

disclosing an emwell as the hearing In the present instance the power plant of the The crankshaft-s 32 therebetween.

portions and rear portions crankshafts 32 and'34 as and m2.

airplane comprises an engine of the double V type; as illustrated in Fig. 3. This engine is provided with oppositely inclined banks of cylreceive the propeller 26 is driven by spaced right gear mechanism designated as a whole at 30.

and 34 are rotatably journalled at their rear ends through the medium of suitable bearings 35 and 31 in crankcase housings 38 and 40, respectively, these housing being separated by a centraltruss-like housing 42.

means of a concavo- I convex streamlined end plate 43 rigidly secured "in position. The crankcase housing 38 receives connected in the usual manner to the crankshafts."

Referring crankcase housings 38 and 40-for the four banks being noted that the propeller shaft extends parallel to the crankshafts and In Fig.. 4 fragmentary central of the power plant are shown, illustrating positions 01' cylinders 46 I bearings 35 and 31 to whichare Journalled the rear ends of crankshafts 32 and 34.

to the forward ends of the are gears 94 and 05 respectively. The gear 94 meshes with a larger gear 96 fixed to,a short shaft 91 journalled in Rigidly secured "isa relatively small gear I04 and correspondingly, secured to the shaft I! is a gear I similar to the gear I04. The gears I04 and I05 mesh with a gear I06 fixed to a hollow propeller shaft 30.

The propeller shaft 30 is journalled at its rear end at I08 through bearings carried by bosses Adjacent its 7 propeller 26 to the propeller shaft is journalled in ward end of the concave-convex attached to the and left crankshafts 32 and 34, respectively, through improved reduction is mounted centrally idler I00 which, in v v I03. By virtue of such aconstrutcion the Referring to Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, in these figures idler gears and I00 are shown simpl:

I04 and v Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic analysis of the forces gear driving gear 35 is rivingly. connected to the driven gear I06 through the idler I00.

now to the portion of Fig. 9- which illustrates two teeth or the driving gear 35 and 7 the idler I00 in driving contact, it will bear)- at said point P by the driven I and'the reactive force tooth is equal and opposite preciated that the driving tooth of the gear 95 exerts driving'pressure on the driven tooth of The force produced by the drivpoint P understood in the art of gear design that-the pressure forces as ,well as reactions" produced thereby act in directions perpendicular to the surfaces of contact and therefore said directions are determined by the angle of pressure designated in Fig. 9 by A and depending upon the character of the tooth. In the involute system said angle is constant for any given system and is equal usually to 14 /2 or 20. The magnitude of the force 1: depends upon the torque delivered by the driving gear 95, and it may be represented in any desired scale. It should be understood at this; point that the pressure exertis resisted tooth of the idler m produced by said to said driving force n. Each of said forces n and m may be resolved of the driving gear 95 and into two components giving a radialthrust component and a rotative component for the force n, and an idler tooth reaction to said rotative component, as well as a radial reaction to said radial thrust for the force m. For the purpose of general information it may be stated at this point that the value of the rotative compone'nt expressed in units of weight and multiplied by the distance thereof. from the center gear expressed in units of length gives the value of torque produced by the gear, while the value of said rotative component multiplied by the distance it covers in rotation, gives value for the energy so produced. produced when divided by the time element involved, gives the value for power delivered.

The pressure at the tooth contact point P is opposed by the supporting bearings. Therefore, the force n is opposed by the bearing of the idler I00 and itproduces thereon aload represented by the vector line b. On the other hand, the reactive force 171. is opposed by the bearing it exerts thereon a *bearing load force indicated in Fig. 9 by the gear I06,

character q.

driving tooth of the the driven tooth of the driven and applying thereto the same analysis as given above, it will be understood that the said driving tooth exerts on said driven tooth a force which may betermed the idler tooth pressure force and which is represented in Fig. 9 by the character 1', which force is opposed by the idler I00 with length of the f Referring now to the portion of Fig. 9 illusstrating the contact of a tooth of the propeller shaft gear I06.

on the bearing of the idler I00 due to the pressure of the driving tooth of the gear 95, while thevector a represents the load on the bearing of said idler I00 due to the reaction of the driven The action of said forces represented by the vectors a and b is equal in direction and magnitude to the force represented by the resultant vector 0.

. Similarly the vector e represents the load on The value forthe energy driven, gear bearing and produces a load force thereon indicated in Fig. .9 by the character 8. On the other hand. the driven tooth of the gear I06 opposes the action of the force 1 with an equal and opposite reactive force indicated in Fig. 9 by the character t, which force. is opposed by the bearing of the idler I00 and produces thereon a load force indicated in Fig. 9 by the vector line a. I

It will now be clear in that the total load on the bearing of the idler I00 is the result of the action of the load forces represented by the vectors a and. b producing the resultant force represented by the vector 0. With the aboveanalysis in view, consideration of Fig. 6 may now be undertaken. Referring to said Fig. 6, vector 12 represents the load view of the foregoing the rotation of thevectorsa' the bearing of the idler gear 86 produced by the pressure of the driving-tooth of the driving gear 94 on the driven tooth of said idler 96. The vector d represents the load produced by the reactive force of-the driven tooth of the propeller shaft gear I06 exerted on the driving tooth or the gear 96. The vector e represents the loadon the bearing of the idler gear 96 produced by the pressure of the drivingtooth of the gear 94, while the resultant of said forces is represented by vector f. Assuming the direction of rotation of gears 95 and 94 as illustrated in Fig. 6 and assuming further that the torques delivered by said gears are equal, the magnitude and direction of the forces represented by vectors c and I is equal and opposite. Since vectors a and b, as well as d and e act, at a relatively large angle to each other, their resultant vectors 0 and f are relatively small, and therefore the net loads on the bearings of the idler gears I00 and 96 are not large and said bearings may have relatively light construction and be arranged in a relatively small space.

In addition, the load forces produced on the bearing of the propeller shaft gear I06 due to the pressure of the driivng teeth of the idler gears I00 and 96 (said forcesbeing represented inFig. 9 by characters s and u) are equal and may be considered as applied at the same point but in opposite directions. Therefore, said load forces 3 and u cancel each other, and the load on the bearing ofthe propeller shaft gear is negligible. 0

It will be noted that the gears 94 and 95 as well as the propeller shaft gear I06 are arranged with their centers located on the straight center line A-A. In order to produce equal forces represented by the vectors 0 and f, idler gears I00 and 96 as well as driving gears 94 and 95 are respectively similar. By virtue of such a construction the respective centers of the idler gears I00 and 96 are located at the same distances are arranged on the opposite sides of the line A-A connecting the centers of the driving gears 94 and 95, with relation to the arrangement of Fig. 6. Due to the changed relationship between the gears and the new positions of the idler gears in the arrangement of Fig. 7, and b as well as vectors e and d addtcgether at a much smaller angle to produce the respective resultant forces represented by'characters c and f. Because of such smaller angle the forces represented and b as well as e. and d9 are acting more in one direction than is the case of corresponding vectors a and b as well as e and d of Fig. 6. Therefore, theforce represented by thevector c in Fig. 7 is considerably greater than the the vector 0 in Fig. 6, thus greater load on the bearing of is produced by the force 0 on force represented by giving a much idler I00a than by said vectors a e idler 9611' represented by the single shaft, but should be construed as :appii-I espondl'ngly greaterthan the cable to the reversed condition, namely when" 'ng of the idler 96 represented one engine shaft' drivessseveral :propeller shafts- It will be noted however that. '-I claim: 1 p 1;: in; 1. Inapower transmitting mechanism, a pair 'of ter than the forces 0 and 1, parallel driving shafts, a drivenshaftarra'ng d-L.

v antage in the construction of H propeller shaft gear I06 may be Said driven gear for drivingly connecting. they: I

I point m same; said ng gears and saididler ea g each other, I

F bearingmensions, said idler gears being -arranged ori ing gear tooth pressure on the idler gear isin a grammatically m 2:. direction toward the driven gear. Y 1 Figs. 6 and 7, it will be understood that if both In a power transmitting mechanism. a r id e e r d limb are moved to the same of parallel driving shafts, a driven shaft erside of the center line as i Shown in ranged on a center line parallel to the center Said a number o Serious disadvantages lines of said driving shafts and at an equal will result. It. can be clearly seen from an e :4 distance from each of said lines and in the'plaiie ammatlon of 551d 8 that Vectors and thereof, a driven gearon said driven shaft and c" are identical in their magnitudes and direca driving gear on each of said driving shafts? tions with the vectors a. b and c f Fig 6 on and a single idler gear between each of said drivthe oth r h n the vec o s d", and f" ar lng gears and said driven gear for drlvingly consubstantially identical wlth the vectors d, e necting the same, 581d driving gears and said and f of Fig 7 Thus the bearin load forces idler gears being respectively of substantially c and f" a e different In magnitude, and thereidentical dimensions, said idler gears being arfore the bearings Of the ldlers 96b and 00b must ranged on opposlte s des of the hne connecting be made of different constructions to take care th centers of sard dnvmg gears d h i of different loadsacting thereon. Since the load such relation to its driving'gear that the inon the bearing of the idler 96b would be approxleluded angle b tw t line e rm tf ig the" mate y twice s large as the load on the bearcenters of sald driving and driven shafts and the mg of the idler I001), there may not be enough line connecting the center of each idler gear and pace between the gears 94 nd I to 3000111- its meshing driving gear 1s materially less than modate such increased sizebearing or gear. The 45 a right angle nd id included angles being foregoingmay alsobe true with respect to idler equa1 p gears BBaand I 00 of Owev in h 3. In a power transmitting mechanisma pair" arrangement illustrated in Fig. 8 an additional of parallel driving shafts a n 5mm; 51-. disadv n a e is produced as omp r wi h the ranged on a center line parallel to the center" r ement of Figs Sand 7 y he fa that 50 lines of said driving shafts and'at an equal dis"- the beanng loads on the bearmg 0f the propeltance from each of said lines and in the plane shown insaid Figs. 6 and 7.

It-should be understood that by placing idler 1dler gears being respectively ears suchas I 00 or 96 between the driving and identical dimensions, s '1' of all ofsaidgearsare located on said line AA, t centers f said driving gears n i h.-m f it l befposslble to Produce condition ()0 such relation to its driving gear and to the whereby bearing loads on the idler gear beertation of said shafts thatthe direction or the condition is reversed and one engine is driving being materially less than wright; a lel' 31 Y several'propeller shafts. Therefore, the present included angles being equal. -I.='

specification as well as each of the following i 1 claims are. not limited to two shafts driving a 7 r @CARLE RAUENL 

